Improvement in electric gas-lighting apparatus



BESTAVAILABLE COP A. R. MOLISO N. Electric Gas-Lighting Apparat us.

N0. 214.173. Patented April 8, 1879.

i E i l i I i 1 t EST AVAlLABLE cos ALEXANDER lt. MOLISON, OF S A -?SEA, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTING APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 2 I 4.173, dated April 8, 1879 application filed February 20, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER REID Mou- SON, of Swansea, in the county of Glamorgan, England, have invented certain Improvements in Electrical Apparatus for Igniting'llluminetting-Gas, of which the following is a specineanon.

The object of this invention is to provide a portable electrical apparatus which will serve the purpose of a lighted taper for igniting gas and will be ready forinstant use, although no elect-rie'action takes place in the apparatus until it is required to be brought into use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an external view of the apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken through the center of the apparatus.

In these figures, a is a closed vessel for receiving the exciting-liquid and the battery elements; and-a,a water-tight cover, secured in. place by a bayonetrjointi The battery elements are fitted to the removable cover a of the vessel, and depend from the under side thereof. Y

Supposing carbon and zinc to be the elements used, the carbon shown at b' is cemented to and insulated from the eover and, by means of a wire, 0, is brought into electric connection with a tube, d, standing up from the cover. In theuppcr end of this tube a plug of insulating material, 0, is fitted to receive a line metal tube, f, to which one end of a strip of platinum-foil, g, is secured by a plug. The other end of this platinum-foil is'similarly secured to a second metal tube, f, situated iinmediately above the tube f, and carried by a cage formed from an cxtenslou of the tube d. Surrounding the tube dis an outer tube or sleeve, h, terminating at its lower end in a broad flan ge, h. In tcrposed between the cover of the vessel and the'flange h of the sleeve h is a coiled spring, I, which serves, by pressing on the under side of the flange, to keep the tube It in the raised position shown in the drawin gs, the object of which will be presently explained.

k is .the zinc element, attached to the lower end of a entral rod, 11, which rod passes up through the tube (1, and terminates in a button a little below the small tube f. Pendent from this tube f is an elastic pressing-piece,

. i, which serves to bring the rod 6, and consequently the zinc e1 ment it, into electric connection with the p atinumfoil. This rod is supported by being connected, through a collar and screw, with the sliding tube h, the tube d'bcing slotted longitudinally to permit of the coupling-screw connecting with the collar and sliding freely with the tue h.

When the springlsustains the tube hiu the position shown in -the drawings-the zinc will be suspended above the excitingliquid, and no electric action will take place. In its raised position the sleeve It will serve as a protection to the platinum-foil.

When using carbon and zinc as the elements,

'I- prefer to employ an acidulated solution .of-

bichromate otpotash as the excitingiliqnid.

In order to close the tube d against the exciting-liquid, I line the lower part thereof with lead, and attach to the n-pperend of this lining an india-rubberslecve, m, the lower end of which I secure tightly to the bottom of the central rod, i. The elasticity of this sleeve willpermit of the free vertical motion of the rod 11, while it closes the tube d against the passage of the exciting-liquid through that tube in the event of the apparatus being upset or unduly inclined during its use. In such event, the leaden lining will protect thci tube d' from the corrosive action of the excit;

ing-liquid.

In order to ignite a gas-jet with this appa ratns, it is only necessary to depress the sleeve h and to present the platinum-foil thcrebjvexposed to the-stream of gas. This depression of the sleeve, by forcing the zinc into the exciting-liquid, will cause an instant electrical action to be set up, and the platinum, being thereby heated, will serve to ignite the gas.

On re easing the sleeve h from pressure, the coiled spring will lift the zinc out of the exciting'liquid, and thereby stop the action of the battery, as the sleeve will be forced up to its normal position above the platinum, and will form a protection thereto.

Having now explained the nature of my invention and the manner of carrying it inmm BEST AVAILABLE COP t o effect, I would have it understood that X 1 spring 1-, tiie battery element k, connected to the eleeve by themed i, the same being arciniin- 1. In combination with the batteryceil a, a. ranged as and for the purpose above set forth.

tube, 11, carrying a strip of plaiinuinfoii or its Dated the 2 8th day of November, 1878. equivalent, such foil being breugiit into 0011- it fissesz' ALEX. REID MOLISON. iiection with the battery elements I) and k, as V. U. GWILLiM, and for the purpose above described. REES REES,

2. In combination with the protectingsieeve Clerks with Messrs. Shack-1C Bellingha m, Solicih, which slides upon the U1b(3(l,2l-Ud the coiled 100's, Swansea. 

